It's hard to keep on top of the news cycle these days, and now that spring break is drawing to an end parents & students have a lot of questions about what school will look like over the next weeks and months. Here are some key places to find updates on what's happening.
The primary source of information from the provincial government is the Safe & Healthy Schools website. Go here for official information applying to education in the entire province, plus links to COVID-19 health information. They also have an FAQ page which is regularly updated. The Vancouver School Board has a page devoted to COVID-19 updates. Superintendent Suzanne Hoffman is also providing updates - the latest one addresses what to expect next week, and can be found here. If you're a Twitter user, please follow Vancouver DPAC (@VanDPAC) and BCCPAC (@BCCPAC). Both are sharing really useful information and links for parents and students to navigate this new reality. BCCPAC is also consolidating information and links on their website. And finally, especially for Tupper's Grade 12 students & parents - Grade 12 counsellor Ms Higenbottam is on Instagram and posts lots of great information for graduating students. At the moment she's sharing some good resources on managing anxiety around this whole situation. Your students may already know about this (and hopefully are following her!) but her posts are worth checking out for parents as well. Stay safe, Tupper family - and hopefully see you soon.
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Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is running a series of podcasts that will be of interest to many high school parents. Topics covered so far include promoting resiliency, ADHD basics, supporting kids at home & school, and tackling anxiety. The podcast hosts are from the BC Children's Health Literacy Team, and guests include child psychiatrists, parents, and counsellors.
You can find all of the episodes that have aired so far here: https://keltymentalhealth.ca/podcast . More resources and information for parents about mental health, navigating the health care system and substance use can be found here. We've all heard the saying... "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems." Teens & the high school years can definitely present us with some bigger problems - and wider societal issues - than we faced as elementary school parents. Here are some good information sessions coming up to help us with handling some of these "bigger" problems.
Parenting in a Digital World What do we need to know as parents to protect our children in a connected society? Topics in this session include: current research in brain development, current social media apps and trends, digital footprints, and finding a balance between rules & independence. When: Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 to 8 pm Where: Windermere Secondary, 3155 East 27th Ave Read more about this session and register online here. SACY Adult Toolkit Add to your knowledge about teens, alcohol, cannabis and other substances(including vaping). Gain facts, bust myths, and get comfortable having conversations with youth at this friendly, non-judgmental evening for adults. When: Thursday, December 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm Where: Sir Charles Tupper, STEP Portable (corner of E23rd and Prince Edward) Seating is limited for this event, so please register online here. Social Media is constantly changing and many parents find it difficult to keep up.
Here are a couple resources to get you started: Apps to look out for in 2019: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/apps-to-watch-out-for-in-2019 Parent advice regarding cyberbullying: https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/cyberbullying/stop-speak-support-parent-advice/ Math and Science tutor recommended by PAC member.
Jenya Dudley BSc with a major in Chemistry On the Dean's honour list every year with an average GPA above 84% each year. Email [email protected] for more information and pricing. School Age Children and Youth (SACY) - Substance Use Health Promotion Initiative engages Vancouver parents, teachers, students, administrators and the greater community in a process to strengthen school-based alcohol and drug prevention and early-intervention programs and policies.
The goal of SACY is to: Enhance the prevention and brief intervention infrastructure in VSB schools and surrounding community to prevent substance use, delay substance use and reduce substance use related problems. More information and resources: http://www.vsb.bc.ca/sacy To view and sign up for any SACY events, go to eventbrite.ca and search SACY. One important event coming up is the Capacity Cafe which has been an eye-opening experience for parents in the page. This event fills up fast so register today. https://cctupper.eventbrite.ca https://flauntfashionlibrary.com is a new dress rental service in Vancouver for sizes 0-12. Their boutique is downtown and courier delivery is available for an additional cost.
Seven years ago, Eric Windeler launched Jack.org to educate young people and their families on how best to advocate for their own mental health. It's named after his eldest son Jack, who died by suicide in March, 2010, during his first year at Queen's University.
Jack.org encourages and enables young people to become leaders in the mental health conversation. Below you can find a letter about fentanyl and also an year-end report from the VSB. These also should have been sent to your personal email. A letter from BC Provincial Health. "As you are likely aware, British Columbia is currently experiencing an illegal drug overdose crisis. Since January 2016, more than 1,400 people have lost their lives. While youth aged 14-18 are not considered high risk for an overdose death, school-aged youth are not untouched by tragedy, either directly or through family and friends and media awareness. Nineteen youth between the ages of 14 and 18 years old were reported by the Coroner’s Office to have died from an illicit drug overdose since January 2016. We hope that with your help in speaking to the youth in your life as they go into year-end celebrations and new activities in the summer months, we can avoid preventable tragedies." Read the complete letter with information and tips. |
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